There are few bands that manage to elicit the response Grave does, this Swedish death metal progenitor counting only the original Entombed lineup and Dismember as equals which, it goes without saying, is elite company in the extreme metal world. Now almost 30 years into its career, Grave continues to impart its vision of classic Stockholm death metal, the group sounding inspired and invigorated, though those two elements have never been at a premium in Grave’s vast catalogue (but let’s just pretend Soulless never happened, alright?).

Bands that go on an impressive run late in their careers are nothing new: maybe the impending mortality that begins to creep up in a group’s third decade of existence cuts away both the delusions of grandeur and the let’s-be-relevant pretension and gives a collective hyper-focus. It’s happened to Venom, Napalm Death, Cryptopsy and even Deep Purple, among others, with each of those bands writing some of their best material over the last five to seven years, forever (and thankfully) erasing the lukewarm, or sometimes controversial, mid-years records that threatened to taint the legacies. Grave is very much in this hyper-focus camp, as the band seemingly more than ever understands its strengths and hones directly in on them. That means targets are being hit precisely.

Out Of Respect For The Dead begins with the fire-on-fire of its first three songs (“Flesh Before My Eyes”’s intro solo is especially impactful), while its title track is among the most egregiously effective four minutes this band has infected the metal world with. And talk about a back-loaded record: “Redeemed Through Hate” is yet another example of the Sunlight Studios sound in its summit moments, while each of “Deified”, “Trail Of Ungodly Trades” and “Grotesque Glory” don’t care that they’re in the close-off position on Out Of Respect For The Dead – they’re here to do the work and heavy lifting, no questions asked.

All of which makes a certain irony apparent: Grave continues to make us feel alive, in wide-eyed ways. Art does imitate life, it seems.